Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 67

**Leaves Falling Like Promises**
**By Amara Grant**
**Chapter 67**

**HUNTER**

Steal my girl? Those words hit me like a thunderclap, stirring the beast within me from its slumber, even as I felt the remnants of my own brokenness. A sharp flare of agony coursed through me, a reminder of the magic of the barrier that continued to burn like a relentless fire within my veins. My claws instinctively extended, and my body quaked with the effort to suppress the shift that threatened to take over.

“Say that again,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

Rivers stood there, unflinching. He didn’t radiate the usual scent of fear that most would in my presence. No, he was too composed, too smug, as if he had forgotten the near-fatal encounter we had last time. That smirk on his lips was a blatant challenge, igniting the fury simmering just beneath the surface.

“Oh, you’re not in Cedar Grove now, Your Majesty,” Rivers whispered, his tone dripping with mockery. “I could easily toss you back through Malcolm’s boundary wards in a heartbeat.”

I wanted to convince myself that I could take him down, even in my weakened state, but deep down, I knew he was right. My insides felt like a cauldron of acid, but I took a step closer, towering over him, feeling the air between us thrum with my barely contained rage.

“I’ve warned you before,” I said, my voice a low rumble. “You don’t get another chance.”

Rivers snorted, and the growl of my beast reverberated in my chest, a primal warning.

“If she wanted you, I wouldn’t stand in her way. But she’s here with me, Hunter.”

Not ‘alpha.’ Not ‘Your Majesty.’ He was addressing me by my name, stripping away the titles that usually held weight.

“Who is it?” a voice hissed from within the house.

“Just someone lost,” Rivers called out, his tone dismissive, before he took a step back to close the door.

In a flash of fury, I shoved him hard, enough to make him stumble, and crossed the threshold without an invitation. The house was spacious, but I could already sense the direction of the people inside. And her scent—sweet vanilla—wrapped around me, pulling me closer like a moth to a flame. But before I could move further, Rivers seized the back of my suit and hurled me out with a surprising force.

I crashed to the bottom of the steps, the impact jarring my bones and sending a shock of pain through my shoulder.

That bastard.

Humiliation burned hotter than the magic coursing through me. No one else dared to lay hands on me, but this rogue had no respect for boundaries or rank.

“You’re this weak, so I’m guessing you didn’t just catch your beta,” Rivers drawled, sauntering out with an air of amusement, pulling a chair to sit with his arms crossed, a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

Despite knowing Rivers’ strength couldn’t compare to my own, he lounged there like a king upon a throne, utterly unconcerned. I gritted my teeth and forced my arm back into place, struggling to stand, my legs trembling beneath me.

“You severed the bond, didn’t you?” he chuckled, the sound low and mocking. “And then you broke through wards crafted by a master. I wonder what your uncle would say if I told—”

I lunged, but I didn’t even make it to the first step. Rivers was quicker, lunging forward to grasp my neck, his claws digging into my skin, his eyes glowing a fierce golden.

“Why the hell did you bite her?” he hissed, dragging me into the shadows, his voice a mix of anger and something else—jealousy. “You don’t even understand the gravity of what you’ve done.”

My beast howled in response, pushing its strength toward me. I felt Rivers’ jealousy simmer beneath his rage, igniting my own fury. With a surge of adrenaline, my fist connected with his jaw, and the impact sent a shockwave up my arm, staggering him and loosening his grip.

Rivers spat out a mouthful of blood, his grin feral and wild.

“How many Har’s does it take to recover from this? Two? Three? I’m looking forward to keeping you company, Your Majesty.”

I lunged again, but the voice that always pulled me back from the edge cut through my fury.

The door swung open, and Kitty rushed down the steps, her bare feet barely making a sound on the wood, her eyes wide with concern.

“Hunter, what are you doing?”

Rivers stumbled back, holding the side of his bruised face, a look of surprise mingling with his usual bravado. Kitty was at his side in an instant, inspecting the damage with an intensity that made my heart sink.

“Why did you hit him?” she demanded, her eyes blazing as they locked onto mine.

Were they blue? Was my vision clouded by the barrier’s magic? Everything felt hazy, the buzzing under my skin blurring my senses.

“I didn’t—”

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